Golden oldies ending with a punch lineLaugh Lines show tickles funny bones of area seniors

April 12, 2007|JENNIFER OCHSTEIN Tribune Correspondent

Tony Palenchar couldn't help laughing out loud. A group of comedians at St. Paul's Retirement Community in South Bend performed Laugh Lines, nine short skits of senior humor, including one that made Palenchar laugh aloud. The skit, called "A Light from God," saw a doctor call her patient's wife, inquiring about his mental health. The man told his doctor his relationship with God was right on track. In fact, every time the man got up in the night to use the bathroom, God shone his light on him. Upon hearing this from the doctor, the man's wife threw up her hands in frustration adding: "He's peeing in the fridge again!" Palenchar saw the first of three performances of Laugh Lines and complimented the actors. "I thought it was very good," Palenchar said. "I took no offense to it. It was very appropriate for the audience." Cortney Metcalf, assistant recreation program manager at St. Paul's, called the skits "cutting-edge senior humor." She said, it appeals to seniors who can sometimes relate to the predicaments satirized by the Laugh Lines production. "It pokes fun at the struggles of everyday life of getting older," Metcalf said of the production. She wrote some of the skits and others she found online. "We have a lot of characters here, and many of them have performed in plays before and enjoy it," Metcalf added. The crew of 10 performers practiced every other week for four months to gear up for Laugh Lines, which allows other residents to listen to in-house entertainment instead of having to bring others in. And the Laugh Lines performers think it's a hoot to play along. "It's just so much fun," said Mary Alice Ellis, a resident at St. Paul's who used to be a part of the Presbyterian Players with her husband, Bob Ellis, years ago. "This is a far cry from that," said Bob Ellis referring to his days as a Presbyterian Player and now being a member of the cast of Laugh Lines. Most of the jokes sounded pretty corny to him at first, he said, but he got used to them having to practice them so much. Evelyn Liszewski said she was even singing the lyrics to their grand finale in her sleep. Sung to the tune of "Thanks for the Memories," the St. Paul's Resident Players sang: "Thanks for the Medicare, for Blue Cross and Blue Shield, for a hip that finally healed. Remember, on prescriptions, generic is a steal! We thank you so much! Thanks for the Medicare for meds that fit our needs, for old AARP. Remember to be thankful for doctors that succeed. We thank you so much!"